The present invention is broadly related to a novel method of enhancing learning and/or memory in warm blooded animals. In some of its more specific variants, the invention is further concerned with the treatment of various pathologies in warm blooded animals involving learning disabilities, disorientation and memory loss.
The novel antiviral compounds and therapeutic compositions disclosed and claimed in my aforementioned earlier filed copending applications Ser. Nos. 337,134 and 424,786 possess striking antiviral properties and are highly effective in treatment of a wide spectrum of viral infections in humans and other lower warm blooded animals. It has now been discovered that these novel compounds and therapeutic compositions have still other unusual and unexpected therapeutically valuable properties.
For example, surprisingly the novel compounds and therapeutic compositions markedly enhance the ability of warm blooded animals to learn tasks and/or to memorize information. The rate of learning and the retention of the learned information are increased markedly. It is also possible to initiate learning under conditions where it otherwise would not occur at a satisfactory rate. Thus, the novel compounds and therapeutic compositions may be administered to children or young animals having learning and/or memory disabilities in general, including such categories as minimal brain dysfunction, mental retardation, and the like.
The novel compounds and therapeutic compositions also improve the performance of aged humans and other aged lower warm blooded animals. The method of the invention is especially useful in treating those functions which deteriorate with age, and especially recent memory functions and learning disabilities. Thus, the novel compounds and therapeutic compositions may be used in the treatment of the stigmata of aging in the human central and/or autonomic nervous systems, and more specifically, to treat the senile brain syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, Jakob-Kreuzfeldt's disease, and pathologies in general involving disorientation, learning disabilities and/or memory loss.
A large number of other pathologies in immature or adult humans and other lower warm blooded animals which involve disorientation, learning disabilities, and/or memory loss may be treated by the method of the invention. For example, insofar as both neurotic and psychotic states in humans may relate to or receive contributions from learning or memory disabilities, such human pathologies may be treated with the compounds and therapeutic compositions described herein.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method of enhancing the ability of warm blodded animals to learn tasks and/or to memorize information.
It is a further object to provide a novel method of increasing the rate of learning and the retention of learned information in warm blooded animals.
It is still a further object to provide a novel method of improving the capacity of the central nervous system and/or the autonomic nervous system in warm blooded animals to respond favorably to outside stimuli.
It is still a further object to provide a novel method of enhancing the performance of aged warm blooded animals in learning tasks and retaining learned information, and treating the stigmata of aging in the central and/or autonomic nervous systems.
It is still a further object to provide a novel method of treating various pathologies in warm blooded animals involving learning disabilities, disorientation, and/or memory loss.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following detailed description.